The Order of Faith-Preaching

10) Christianity is a need, satisfaction, and consolation of the heart above all, not of the intellect alone; and therefore in teaching the doctrine of the faith one must strive to act more upon the heart than upon the mind. The curiosity of the mind is insatiable; but he who with his heart has felt the need of faith and tasted its consolations will receive it quickly and readily, and it will not be fruitless in him. But to act upon the heart, one must speak from the heart. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. And therefore only he who is filled and overflows with faith and love can have the mouth and wisdom that the hearts of those who hear him cannot resist—and which rightly indicate how, where, and what to speak.

11) The manner of teaching the doctrine of the faith varies: according to the inner state of the soul of the one being taught, and according to age and intellectual capacity. In this regard, bear in mind that those with whom you will have to deal are—by their habits and understanding—pagans and the erring, and—by their degree of education—children. The method and order of teaching them saving truths must be adapted to this.

12) The order in teaching the doctrine of the faith must be conformed to what Providence itself has shown us.

The Mosaic Law was given before the Law of the Gospel; and even before the written Mosaic Law, the unwritten natural law was known, and its Author, God the Creator and Providence. Immediately before the era of the Mosaic Law a solemn sign of the power, omnipotence, and glory of God was manifested.

Keeping this great and universal pattern in view, arrange your own small and particular work thus:

a) From the existence and good order of visible things, demonstrate the existence (in which, however, none of them seems to doubt), the omnipotence, might, and glory of the Creator of the universe, His goodness, omniscience, and so forth. At the same time, briefly relate the history of the creation of the first man and the origin from him of all peoples and nations—who in this respect are living memorials and visible proofs of the Creator’s omnipotence and wisdom. Then set forth the composition of man from soul and body, the difference from other animals, the immortality of his soul, and indicate God’s purpose in creating man—that is, blessedness.

b) Then demonstrate the moral law of Moses, as the God-written natural law, as the means of attaining blessedness—simply and briefly.

Speaking of the law, you will likely hear from even the most primitive peoples an echo and confirmation of the truths of this law, indelibly inscribed upon the tablets of every heart. Strive to awaken this feeling in them and make use of it for your purpose.

c) When your hearers are convinced of the existence of God and the law, then demonstrate to them the necessity of fulfilling the law as the will of the Creator, and the visible consequences of fulfilling and not keeping the law. As an example of this, briefly relate the story of the Flood (some account of which, however confused, exists among primitive peoples), as a consequence of not keeping the law of God; and the blessing of God upon the patriarchs after the Flood, especially upon Abraham (whose descendants exist to this day), as a consequence of fulfilling the law.

d) After that, begin the preaching of the Gospel proper, just as Jesus Christ Himself began it—that is, by proclaiming repentance and consolation, or the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven. Endeavor to bring them to a feeling of repentance, or close to repentance. This can be achieved by convincing them that for not fulfilling the law written in their hearts they will inevitably be punished, both in this life and in the life to come.

Bringing to a feeling of repentance and contrition is one of the most difficult tasks of the preacher; but this state is one of the most important in the conversion of a person, and is the tilled soil for the planting of the seed of Christianity. For then it can fall into the very depths of his heart and, with the subsequent cooperation of grace, bear abundant fruit. The proclamation of the Saviour to a sinner who feels himself guilty before the law instills in him beforehand and without any persuasion a love for this Saviour, whom he does not yet know. And he who has come to love Jesus Christ in this way will love Him all the more upon coming to know Him, and will believe everything that He said and everything that you shall say of Him.

e) Having demonstrated the necessity of the redemption of the human race and the greatness of God’s love for it, teach concerning the coming into the world of the promised Redeemer, His eternal birth from the Father (here the mystery of the Holy Trinity must be mentioned), His incarnation, nativity, and earthly life; concerning His teaching, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, His constant abiding with believers, and His second coming; concerning the resurrection of the dead, the life to come, and the recompense for the righteous and sinners.

f) Finally, say that Jesus Christ during His earthly life had many disciples, from among whom He chose twelve, gave them a special grace and power, and sent them into the whole world to preach the Gospel to every creature; and that all they taught, and all that Jesus Christ commanded, is written in their writings, which have come down to us and are known to almost all nations; and that all good and simple-hearted people who have had occasion to hear their teaching have received it with joy and have followed and continue to follow it. Such people are ordinarily called Christians; and those among them who exactly observed the word of Jesus Christ have become saints, and the bodies of many of them have remained incorrupt for many centuries, and so forth.

After this it is very fitting to put to all the proposal: whether they too would wish to enter the number of those who believe in Jesus Christ and through Him hope for eternal salvation, blessedness, and so forth.

For those who have not previously heard the word of salvation, this teaching of the faith is sufficient for the first time.

13) In the explanation of matters of the faith one must speak thoughtfully, clearly, and distinctly, and as briefly as possible; otherwise your preaching will have little success. In explaining the teaching of Jesus Christ, it is not necessary to be very expansive—that is, not to mention everything that Jesus Christ said, but only to say that the whole teaching of Jesus Christ consists in this: that we repent, believe in Him, and have toward Him and toward all people a selfless, pure love. In confirmation of His teaching, mention His miracles as well.

14) When you see that your hearers have understood you correctly and express a desire to be numbered among the flock of Christ, then propose to them: a) the conditions for those wishing to enter the number of believers; b) holy baptism, as the mystical rebirth from water and the Spirit introducing one into the new life of Christianity, and the other sacraments, as means of receiving the grace of Jesus Christ; and c) how one who wishes to be a true Christian must conduct his life, and consequently make use of all the gifts of salvation.

a) The conditions under which those who desire may enter the number of disciples of Jesus Christ are: to renounce the whole of their former faith; to abandon shamanism, and to cease listening to shamans; not to follow customs contrary to Christianity; to agree to fulfill all that the new law and the Church shall require of them; to confess their sins.

b) To those who desire and agree to fulfill all the stated conditions, say that entering Christianity is a great and important matter; and therefore entry into it must be solemn—the one wishing to enter must renounce before witnesses all that is contrary to the Christian faith and give a promise to be a disciple of Jesus Christ; and all this is to be sealed with holy baptism, which is at once a visible sign of entry into Christianity and a means of cleansing the soul from sins, and the door to receiving the other gifts—or means of imparting the grace of God—that is, the sacraments of the holy Church.

c) Regarding the teaching of how a Christian should conduct himself—do not be very expansive the first time, but say only that he who wishes to be a true Christian—that is, a disciple of Jesus Christ—and to make use of all the gifts of the redemption, must: 1) with faith, hope, and love give himself over to Jesus Christ; 2) imitate Him in all things—that is, strive, as much as possible, always to act as He acted.

15) Finally, one must say that no one—especially he who relies on his own strength and himself—can be a true disciple of Jesus Christ without the help of God; and had Jesus Christ, in His great love for people, not granted us His help, no one could ever have become a perfect follower of His.

16) Such teaching is sufficient for the newly converted. The further teaching of Christianity—such as the extended and more spiritual exposition of the Ten Commandments, the explanation of the words of Jesus Christ transmitted in the Gospel, the teaching of the Apostles, and in part the traditions of the holy fathers—comprises the subject not of preliminary catechetics, and is spiritual food not for infants in the faith, but for those who are mature, or at least growing, in Christianity.